Page 189 - Blimp News Today

Now, that is in if you look at the coast guard helicopters also flying out here surveying the oil, they use about 150 gallons of fuel an hour, so this is definitely more efficient. and i think that another thing about this is we had the thermometer and i cant find it right now -- here we go, it says that the index in this blimp is 105 degrees, so it has been a very hot ride for several hours, and in addition to that, there is no restroom on the blimp, so you are kind of debating, okay, do i hydr...

Just minutes away. were following the latest on the oil spill. also, the fight over plans to build an islamic community center near ground zero. images of 9/11 in a new ad that says it would celebrate the worst attack on u.s. oil. seeing the oil spill in a blimp. also, gold at the end of a rainbow. a guy totally losing it over natures beauty. those story in just two minutes.

Today is day 92. what the heck took so long to get this more efficient machine out here to look for the oil? they say its just been a lot of red tape and approval process. once again, were getting unprecedented access. actually going to be sitting inside of the blimp flying over the water in about an hour and a half. so stay tuned to cnn. well bring you updates all day long. >> looking forward to it, amber. thank you. here to talk about the other half of the critical see coast operations rob m...

Tracking oil by air and sea. day 92 in the disaster in the gulf. we are giving you an exclusive tag team look at the skimmers in the water. amber lyon joins us from aboard a blimp over the gulf of mexico. this is a unique vantage point. amber, if you would, describe what you are seeing. this is amazing. >> reporter: tony, we are about 500 feet above mexico. that beach is gulf shores, alabama. the coast guard is calling this blimp the newest tool in the toolbox of the oil cleanup because this bli...

Amber lyon is in a blimp, tracking the skimming boats that are covering the -- that are skimming up the oil. she is on the right of the screen there, shots coming in and out, but it looks like weve got her there. and rob marciano on the left is on a skimmer boat, being tracked by the u.s. navy blimp. so the two of them have got two different views of how this is going. lets start with you, rob. whats going on? >> well, the process of this operation all day long has -- well, in part, been led by ...

>> reporter: we were also mentioning earlier, its day 92. why has it taken so long for this glimpse to get out here surveying the coast? >> the navy had to wait for forces from the coast guard and once we got that, money has to transfer, contracts have to get in place. we got here as quick as we could. >> reporter: okay. great. >> amber -- >> reporter: as youre getting ready to go, maybe you can do this or the pilot. totally up to you because i know you want to get going. the equipment thats on ...

When they finish drilling these relief wells and the time line for that is still by mid-august. were very close. were only about four feet away from the well from relief well number one, and about 100 feet from getting to the bottom point. but they still have to line that well and actually make an interseconds with that so we are still looking at mid-august before the relief well is complete. john? >> all right. if they attempt it and it works, it will be a bright spot. we havent heard a bright ...

Onboard a blimp. amber, youre getting ready to head out and look for oil? >> reporter: you know, thats right, kyra. in about ten minutes from now well be hopping on this massive, 178-foot long blimp to go out over the gulf and look for oil, distressed wildlife, any displaced boom. what is going to happen when we take off? if you can see those guys standing over there, the blimp is going to levitate and grab ropes to where we need to go and then well float away over the gulf. now, the coast guard...

Asked for forgiveness. please, let us all find ways to work together. we cant solve our problems by saying the president of the united states is responsible for making things better. it starts with all of us. >> donna brazile reaching out to vilsack to rethink his position. were going to invite him to join us, see if he wants to join us on the phone and see if he will react, donna, to your powerful words. thanks very much. mary, thanks to you as well. well be all over this story in the next hour...

It seems to me, jacqui, that one of the things you do with this blimp is youre in a position to better direct the skimming operation. yeah, you want to check for boom and identify where it is, and if its sunken in spots, you want to get that. but it seeps you also able to redirect the skimming vessels to get to the spots where you really need that work to take place. we are going to try to get amber back in a moment but jacqui, maybe we can focus on the tropics and activity looming in the gulf a...